Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to systems and devices that increase aerodynamic efficiency. More particularly, the invention relates generally to an air fairing or trailer skirt for trailers. Specifically, the invention relates to an air fairing for a frameless trailer.
Background Information
Fuel economy in combustion engine vehicles is closely related to aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle. Aerodynamic efficiency depends on an object's ability to decrease drag forces on the object as the object passes through a flow stream, amongst other things. When drag forces are decreased, fuel efficiency tends to increase.
Road tractors, or conventionally known semi-trucks, are used to pull road trailers on roads to transport cargo. Often times, these trailers are fitted with air fairings to help improve aerodynamic efficiency by reducing drag and thus increasing fuel economy.
Frameless trailers are a type of dump trailer that lacks a frame ordinarily supporting a conventional framed or box dump trailer. The lack of any frame tends to increases fuel efficiency by decreasing weight ordinarily attributed to a frame of a tractor trailer. The lack of a frame also reduces drag by decreasing the size of the aerodynamic profile of the frameless trailer.
A need continues to exist to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of a frameless dump trailer. Further, a need continues to exist for improving the fuel efficiency of a truck having a combustion engine. The present invention addresses these and other issues.